What Epiphany is, is what it is. It is a sudden appearance or manifestation of a divine being. It is not something that happened two thousand or so years ago. It is what is happening now. The Gospel story of the wise men is not for historical remembrance but for spiritual insight for each of us today, for the season and for life. Read more
Advent II
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Nov 29, 2012
The Church has a hard time teaching people how to get into the Presence. The Church will teach we must empty ourselves, pray prayers, come to Church to be forgiven and take communion. The Church is like the people who witnessed Zechariahs’ words of praise at the circumcision of John. “Fear came on all who lived around them.” Luke 1:65 They were afraid of what God would do next. They were afraid of how their lives would change. After all, they had learned how to cope in the darkness. The fear of the Church is if people know how to consciously get into the Presence without coming to church they would not come. Read more
Pentecost XXV Mark 13:1-8
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Nov 08, 2012
Mark 13:1-8. Wait a minute! When you read the Scriptures sometimes you need to be aware of what the before and the after verses might be. This Scripture starts at the close of the previous chapter with the widow’s mite, Mark 12:42. A poor widow put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Godly understanding looks to the internal. Jesus had just called the Disciples attention to this woman “She out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." They were not too impressed thinking rationally, “that is nice”, perhaps “very interesting”, but no “OMG’s”. They come out of the temple and are climbing over each other admiring the size of the stones and the buildings. Read more
Pentecost XXIV Mark 12:38-44
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Nov 01, 2012
Mark 12:38-44. Beware! Jesus tells His disciples to beware of scribes. Why for this time did He only single out the scribes and not the Pharisees as well? The Facts: The "Scribes in the New Testament are also referred to as "lawyers" who were the legal jurists of their day. Worldly thinking looks to the scribes for understanding of Jesus. They perform religious rites for appearance but they devour widow’s houses. Godly thinking looks to Jesus for understanding of the scribe’s law and its meaning. Read more
Pentecost XXIII Mark 12:28-34
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 24, 2012
Mark 12:28-34. “You are not far from the Kingdom” Jesus is asked by a scribe to define the greatest commandment. He offers two, one to Love God and the other to love others as we love ourselves. Do the loving thing and there is no commandment (in the Bible) that is greater than these two. The scribe agrees with Him. Jesus says, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Worldly thinking believes he is not far because he knows what the Greatest Commandments are. Godly understanding is he is never far spiritually from the Kingdom of God. Read more
Pentecost XXII Mark 10:46-52
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 18, 2012
Mark 10:46-52. “Call him!" There are two ways of seeing things, worldly and godly. Worldly understanding sees the physical as real and the spiritual as symbolic. Godly understanding sees the spiritual as real and the physical as symbolic. Read more
Pentecost XXI Mark 10:17-31
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 11, 2012
Mark 10:35-45. "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Worldly thinking of James and John is that they want to sit on the right and left hand of Jesus in His glory. Godly understanding knows that He is spiritually already in His glory. They already are sitting on His right and left Hand. The grace of the Presence of God has already been given to all of us. All of us are not always in this Presence. It is for those for whom it has been prepared. Read more
Pentecost XX Mark 10:17-31
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Oct 04, 2012
Mark 10:17-31."Sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and come, follow me." How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! Worldly thinking believes we must sell all we have and give it to the poor so that we can follow Jesus. Godly understanding knows that, in our heart, we cannot depend upon anything other than the Presence of Jesus for our life. Read more
Pentecost XIX Mark 10:2-16
Posted by Paul Edwards (Fr. Paul) on Sep 27, 2012
Mark 10:2-16. “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Worldly thinking reads this as the Law in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is to be broken. Godly understanding is not limited. Any law that hardens one's heart is to be broken. Our Commandment is to do the loving thing in all cases. Read more
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